A new after-school orchestra program was launched by Mrs. Griggs, the director of all Bridgewater-Raritan High School orchestras, in collaboration with students.
The club, known as Piu Vivace, meets weekly on Mondays at 2:30 p.m., and is intended to be a casual and accessible ensemble for any student that plays a string instrument, regardless of skill level.
As part of Piu Vivace, students practice music in both large and small-group settings. Every meeting begins with rehearsal that is traditional to the school orchestra, as a whole ensemble and with pieces chosen by the conductor of the orchestra. This usually lasts for about an hour, with warm-up and technical work included, before members break off into small groups of friends to practice music that they personally pick and enjoy playing.
The club was founded with the intent of providing students with musical independence and to allow them to take the extra step to pursue their interests by playing songs they can connect with. Free snacks are provided at every meeting, courtesy of student volunteers.
The club has five officers: Paritosh Bhole as president, Ethan Wei as vice president, Ezra Brotschul as event’s coordinator, Srishti Mittal as treasurer and Ayushmaan Mukherjee as publicist. Officers are elected to the club through a self-nominated election, where all members can both vote and run, similar to the process for all the school orchestras. This year, the election took place on the first meeting.
New members have shown to enjoy the club. Although the club attendance varies, it has been increasing with every meeting.
Sophomore Pranita Kundu weighed in on their experience joining Piu Vivace.
“I’ve actually never done orchestra in small groups before. I really enjoyed it because it allowed me to connect with my friends and choose what I want to play,” Kundu, who is also a part of the BR Concert Orchestra, said.
Sophomore and Vice President Ethan Wei also commented on his experience in Piu Vivace thus far.
“I’ve enjoyed being VP so far and working with my fellow officers. Piu Vivace has allowed me to discover more sides of being a musician,” he said.
Ella Brotschul described her experience in helping to create the club.
“I founded Piu Vivace because I could no longer take orchestra as a class, but I still wanted to be able to create music with Ms. Griggs and members of the orchestras. I love this ensemble because it’s full of people who want to create and share music just as much as I do, and that creates a really wonderful environment to be in,” the event’s coordinator said.
Piu Vivace has a handful of performances that are currently confirmed or are being planned. The club has set an objective to perform out-of-school for the Bridgewater community. They have already achieved this goal with their recent performance at the Bridgeway Senior Care and Rehabilitation Center on December 17.
More performances are being planned for the spring of 2024, specifically aimed to share music with the Bridgewater-Raritan community. By performing in these various locations, Piu Vivace is able to reach an audience beyond our own high school and demonstrate what can be created from a group of devoted, passionate musicians.
The club is currently looking to expand and encourages new members to join.
